[Is selective use of intraoperative cholangiography in elective cholecystectomy justified?]

Operative cholangiography (IC) represents the most reliable investigation for common bile duct stones even during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CHE). To reduce operating time, safety of selective IC was analysed in the last 308 consecutive patients undergoing conventional elective CHE. Obvious indication for common bile duct investigation excluded, IC was performed only in case of elevated liver function tests (n = 83, 26.9%), in 12 cases (14.5%) with positive in 2 cases (2.4%) with false positive result. In 255 (73.9%) patients IC was omitted. All patients were controlled after 4 months: no retained duct stone became evident in any case. Selective IC is safe and cuts time.